Noah's p.o.v I froze in place, the key to Dorian’s dorm still in my hand as Matt’s grin widened. My stomach twisted unpleasantly when he began closing the distance between us. For a moment, he just looked at me with his head cocked to the side and then he glanced down at the key in my hand and his beady black eyes narrowed as a cocky grin spread across his lips. “Why do you have Dorian’s room key, Captain?” he asked, his tone deceptively casual. My throat tightened but I forced my expression into neutrality, willing away the heat creeping up my neck. Matt was a fucking trash bag and whatever I came up with had to throw him off our scent. “Not that it's any of your business,” I replied smoothly, shoving the key into my pocket. “But Hayes is my rookie, and it’s my responsibility to help him out. He’s having trouble with philosophy so I'm helping him study.” Matt’s eyes narrowed slightly, like he wasn’t quite buying it, but he didn’t immediately call me out. Instead, he took another
NOAH'S P.O.VPractice was gold. We were prepping for our fourth game in the regionals—home against Denver—and everything was clicking. My assists were piling up, threading perfect passes through tight gaps, while Dorian was a fucking sniper, his wrist shots cutting through the air like a damn blade. The entire team was playing out of their minds—Matt, Jaxon, and Greg locking it down on defense, yes Matt finally was unbenched by the Coach so he's back on games. while Cody, Eli, and Shawn kept up the pressure up front. By the time Coach blew the final whistle, we were drenched in sweat, but the energy was electric and it felt like we were already on the ice for tomorrow's game, beating Denver out of the ice. I'd never felt as confident in our team until this season who was ironically my last in Bridgewater.“Four more games to the Frozen Four,” Coach told us, voice gruff but charged with something close to pride. “Keep this up, and that national title is fucking ours.”I felt so good th
Dorian's p.o.vFucking Jaxon.Of all the people to turn the corner at that exact moment, it had to be him.One second, I had Noah where I wanted him—pressed up against the goddamn shelves, body warm, pliant, his breath short and shaky, betraying just how much he liked what I was doing to him. The next, he was stiff as a goddamn board, eyes blown wide like some poor bastard caught in a police spotlight. He looked like he had just been caught committing a crime. And all because Jaxon had strolled into the aisle like the world’s biggest buzzkill.For a moment, I actually felt bad for Noah.But that feeling was quickly overshadowed by irritation. I hated that Jaxon’s sudden appearance had made Noah shrink into himself like a fucking scared rabbit. We weren’t even doing anything—well, nothing that bad—just a little teasing and a little fun, but still, Noah was acting like we'd been caught naked in the middle of the goddamn aisle.Gritting my teeth, I turned my head, my jaw tightening even
Dorian's P.O.VAfter we left the mall, Noah tossed his keys to me and without being told, I knew he wanted me to drive us back. Clearly he was too blind with anger to do that.The drive back to my dorm was fucking suffocating. Noah sat there, arms crossed, staring out the window like some pissed-off spouse who’d caught me cheating with the neighbor. Neither of us said a word, just let the silence stew between us, thick and heavy as the tension from that shitshow of a dinner. I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white, trying to keep my temper in check because I couldn't for the life of me see why Noah was angry when he'd been all over his "best friend" but the second we stepped into my room and I slammed the door shut, it all went to hell.“You’re such a fucking man-whore,” Noah snapped, spinning on me with his eyes blazing. “Flirting with Tessa right in front of me like I’m invisible. What the fuck is wrong with you? What do they say about bisexuals again? Yeah, y'
NOAH’S P.O.VI couldn’t fucking deny it.Angry sex with Dorian was the hottest fucking thing in the world. Even now, sprawled out on his bed, my body still twitched every time my brain replayed how he’d fucked me into the floor like a goddamn animal. My ass was sore, my throat raw, and I could still feel the ghost of his cock splitting me open. It was so fucking good that I'd somehow forgotten the real reason we'd been fighting or arguing. Thankfully, Dorian had forced us to go shower off the evidence of our shenanigans, cum, sweat, and whatever else we’d smeared across each other so I didn't feel icky and now we were naked, tangled in his sheets, each scrolling through our phones like we hadn’t just tried to break each other.The room smelled like soap and sex, and I felt good, loose, relaxed, the kind of buzz you get after a hard practice and a harder fuck. My foot brushed against his under the covers, lazy little nudges turning into a dumb game of footsies. His toes curled agains
NOAH’S P.O.VThe locker room was too damn loud for a morning practice, but I barely noticed the chaos as Coach came in to address us. He announced that we won't be practicing at the rink today, instead it was strictly conditioning in the gym.Great. Nothing like nearly puking on an empty stomach to kick things off.After changing into workout clothes, we all shuffled into the gym. Like always, veterans got paired with rookies for spotting. I barely had time to glance at Dorian before Jaxon stepped right in front of me, slinging an arm around my shoulders.“I got him today.”I caught Dorian’s expression flicker—just for a second—before he hit me with this pointed, unreadable look. My stomach did a weird twist of worry. After last night, I knew damn well how irrational his jealousy of my friendship with Jaxon could get. Not that I was about to play babysitter in front of the whole team, but I wasn’t in the mood to deal with him sulking all day either. Swallowing a sigh, I shot him a qu
NOAH’S P.O.VFor a solid minute, I just sat there in my car, the engine humming under me while I stared at the empty spot where Dorian had vanished. The cold metal of the steering wheel bit into my palms as I gripped it, my eyes locked on the fading outline of his broad shoulders against the afternoon sun as it snowed around us. He didn’t even glance my way—just walked off like I was nothing. No nod, no smirk, not even one of his sarcastic little waves that always pissed me off and turned me on at the same time. Just a straight-up ghosting, his sneakers scuffing the pavement like he couldn’t get away fast enough.What the fuck was that about?For the past month, after practice, it’d been us—every damn day. Fucking until the sheets were soaked with sweat, studying with our books sprawled across his bed with our legs tangled, or pulling shifts at the store, stealing glances over the counter while Susie smirked like she knew too much. Neither of us had time for anything else, and Dorian
Dorian’s P.O.VAn hour later, I was seating on the edge of a couch that probably cost more than my entire childhood home. Noah had briefly explained that it was his apartment condo where he stayed anytime he needed to hide away from the team mates or just have some time to himself. And seeing its interior, there was nothing else to say to describe it, other than, it suited Noah. Hockey Royalty. The kind of guy who had everything, but the ability to sit the fuck down and stop pacing before I lost my goddamn mind.Noah hadn’t stop pacing since we got in. He dragged his hand through his hair for what seemed like the hundredth time, yanking at the strands like he wanted to rip them out. Every few minutes, he’d snap out of his frantic pacing just to kick at the coffee table or slam his fist into the wall, yelling, ”FUCK” or “SHIT!”I exhaled through my mouth, feeling the throb of a headache brewing. “You’re gonna give yourself a fucking aneurysm.”Noah ignored me.Fuck. I’d tried, ten mi
Noah's POVChristmas Eve, and I felt like roadkill that had been rained on, run over twice, and forgotten on the side of the road. My nose was clogged, my head was pounding, and my limbs felt like they’d been stuffed with wet socks. The apartment echoed with silence and I just felt so fucking miserable..Liam had left for “practice” three days ago. Practice. On Christmas week. Sure. I wasn’t stupid. Even NHL players got time off for the holidays. But I didn’t ask questions. It was his place, not mine. He could go to Jupiter and I’d still have to be grateful for the four walls and overpriced furniture.I shuffled to the door like a corpse when the bell rang, dragging the blanket off the bed with me like it was my emotional support animal. A tissue hung out of my nostril, clutched in one hand like my last shred of dignity.I was already mentally preparing myself for the sight of a package guy or maybe Mark, here to guilt-trip me into watching Elf for the fifth time. But when I opened th
Dorian’s POV“Twenty-nine... thirty.”The bar slammed back into place with a satisfying clang, my arms trembling slightly from the weight. My chest rose and fell, slick with sweat, and I laid there on the bench for a second, staring at the ceiling of the mostly empty university gym like it had answers. It didn’t.Groaning, I wiped my face with the towel I slung over the rod, then sat up and shook out my arms. The pain was good. It kept me focused and grounded. It had only been a week and a day since I started seriously training again, but my body was already responding—bulking, hardening, becoming familiar again. Something I could control. conditioning and playing ice hockey for the last few weeks of the championship season also helped a lot.Anyhow, I made my way to the floor-length mirror at the far end of the gym, bare-chested, my joggers hanging low on my hips. My reflection stared back at me and not to be a conceited asshole but I was impressed. My arms which had begun to thin wh
NoahIf you favoured Minnesota in the winter, the beautiful snow covered scape and curling up in front of a fire place with a hot whipped coffee, then you'd definitely find Miami offensive as fuck. It was less than a week to Christmas and the sun was out. It wasn’t even noon and it was already making a damn spectacle of itself, glaring down on my windshield like I owed it money. I had the AC blasting, sunglasses on, and I was still squinting like a mole dragged out of his burrow.it was insane. The only tell tale sign it was winter was definitely the over the top decorations along every single building I'm driving past and the string lights around trees that'd be lighted up at night.My phone suddenly buzzed where it was mounted on the dash, dragging me from my observation. I tapped the screen and my second bestfriend's name flashed across it. biting back a grin, I answered the call but before I could even say hello, her voice exploded through the car like a battle cry.“NOAH FUCKING
Dorian's P.O.VIf I thought the Carter mansion looked stunning at night, it was even more ridiculous in daylight. It wasn't just an house but an estate, looking like something off a postcard. I sat behind the wheel of Susie’s tiny car, jaw slack as I stared up at the sprawling estate. Massive hedges shaped into clean-cut shapes of cherubims. The last time it had been in shapes of chess pieces or I may have been mistaken looking at it in the night. Anyway, the pillars gleamed like they were carved from marble, and a few people in uniform swarming the front lawn like busy bees, stringing up massive Christmas garlands. It was literally a whole operation. Frosted wreaths, gold-dipped reindeers, strings of lights being looped over every surface that could take them.Of course, they had a whole staff for this. Rich people didn't climb ladders to decorate their house for Christmas. It was just perfect I caught them at this time. Shit.I opened the car door and stepped out, my shoes muted
Hello guys! Author here! I'm so sorry about the last chapter. I would love to launch into an explanation of why that happened but the words count for "authors notes" is very limited. (But it's a honest mistake.)It won't happen again and to show I'm really sorry.I'm making the next chapter free and adding it to this note.so here.Championship Season.Dorian's P.O.VDORIANThree weeks laterI shoved the door open with my shoulder, the tiny bell jingling in that annoying, rusty way it always did. The strip mall lights outside cast long shadows across the linoleum floor. Everything smelled like synthetic pine and warm plastic—exactly like a place that sold discount dish soap and almost expired soda should.At the front desk, Susie didn’t even look up. Her eyes were glued to the little TV mounted up in the corner like a shrine. Snorting at the reindeer jacket she had on--please it looked absolutely ridiculous --I blinked, pausing halfway into the store. That was me on the screen, liftin
Noah's P.O.V The long drive from campus to my home felt like a slow trek to my own execution. By the time I pulled up to the front of my family’s mansion, the same looming, white-stoned fortress I'd grown up in, it had gotten even darker. My tires crunched over the long winding driveway which was filled with floodlights along the stone paths down which cut through the Late night November darkness. I killed the engine, and left my hands on the steering wheel, breathing in and out. For a second, I just sat there, staring up at the massive house like it was about to swallow me whole. It was like a giant beast carved into hill, the many floor-to-ceiling glass windows reflecting lights causing the house to glow all by itself. Beside me, Dorian whistled low from the passenger seat. "Jesus," he muttered, turning to me with raised brows. "You lived here your whole life?" He shoved the door and stepped out, craning his neck to take it all in; the ivy wrapped columns, the massive lak doors
Noah's P.O.VThe long drive from campus to my home felt like a slow trek to my own execution. By the time I pulled up to the front of my family’s mansion, the same looming, white-stoned fortress I'd grown up in, it had gotten even darker. My tires crunched over the long winding driveway which was filled with floodlights along the stone paths down which cut through the Late night November darkness.I killed the engine, and left my hands on the steering wheel, breathing in and out. For a second, I just sat there, staring up at the massive house like it was about to swallow me whole. It was like a giant beast carved into hill, the many floor-to-ceiling glass windows reflecting lights causing the house to glow all by itself.Beside me, Dorian whistled low from the passenger seat."Jesus," he muttered, turning to me with raised brows. "You lived here your whole life?" He shoved the door and stepped out, craning his neck to take it all in; the ivy wrapped columns, the massive lak doors and
Noah's P.O.VThe bass thudded so hard through the walls it rattled the red Solo cup in my hand. I wasn't even sure what I was drinking anymore but it clearly was something sweet and carbonated that burned my throat going down. It didn’t matter anyway because I was here to get shit faced drunk and forget why I even was alive.I leaned back against the wall of the sorority house, blinking against the strobe lights flashing through the crowd. There were bodies all around me. Everyone was sweaty, drunk and sloshing drinks everywhere. However I felt...empty as though I was watching it all through a thick glass window.But even through the blur of it, my eyes kept betraying me as they flickered back to where Dorian stood surrounded by a small harem of girls. All of them were gorgeous—perfect bodies, perfect makeup, shrieking with laughter at whatever bullshit he was saying.I couldn't stopooking at him.I kept telling myself not to and just be normal, have fun and to let go, but every damn
Noah’s P.O.VIt has been three days since that Thanksgiving dinner with Jaxon’s family and I swear to God, it might as well have been three years with how fucking hectic everything got afterward. Long hours, harder drills, screaming matches on the ice because Coach kept grinding us down to the bone. Everyone was running on fumes, trying to stay sharp for the last (8th) game of the regionals, but I felt like I was back in fucking hell week.On the...somewhat...bright side, Dorian was finally back with us. Coach had unbenched him after I promised to not let our personal relationship or the lack of it affect the twam , and for a minute, I thought things might go back to normal. Dorian stayed out of my way during practice and he'd gone back to his usual animosity, not speaking to anyone before and after practice. But when it came time for Coach to list the starting lineup for the final games, Dorian’s name wasn’t on it. I caught the flicker of hurt that crossed his face when Coach said i